IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reveals how a shortage of apprentice and jockeys is impacting on racing in the north.

Butts fears a lack of jockeys could even limit field sizes for one of the most successful annual meetings in the region – the Home Hill Cup this Saturday.

Here is the Butts’ column:

SHORTAGE OF JOCKEYS IN NQ FORCES RACE MEETING TO BE TRANSFERRED

THE problems facing racing in Australia and more particularly Queensland are many – and diverse.

From Workers’ Compensation to prize-money to deteriorating race tracks and the impact of corporate bookmakers on an industry that is tired and losing public support at an alarming rate.

But the biggest single problem facing racing in country Queensland is the critical lack of jockeys – more importantly apprentices.

Last weekend Charters Towers was forced to transfer its scheduled Saturday meeting to Sunday for the sole and simple reason there was insufficient jockeys available.

It could not compete with a meeting as far away as Cairns. And then only seven riders were available at the Towers.

 

NOT ONE JOCKEY RESIDES BETWEEN MT ISA AND TOWNSVILLE

IT is a staggering fact that there are no jockeys residing between Mt Isa and Townsville.

According to Julia Creek trainer Grant Wiles there are no apprentices or registered track-work riders at Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Hughenden or Richmond. There are only two track-work riders at Charters Towers.

Wiles has 10 horses in work. He and his stable clients have this year outlayed $200,000 (mainly on QTIS horses) and has been forced to send some of his string to other centres to be trained.

“If I had an apprentice I would have 20 in work,” he said.

And it’s not that Wiles hasn’t tried. He has been down all avenues and is at the point of exasperation.

He lost the ‘best member’ of the stable last month when English lass Sophie Norris was deported. It was a  very teary departure that was forced upon on her from Cairns on the very day Julia Creek staged its all-important  Dirt and Dust meeting featuring the $17,000 Artesian Express.

It is a race that Wiles’ horse Mains Power won. And if Sophie Norris had been allowed to stay – and become an apprentice to Wiles – she would have had the mount.

But all efforts by Wiles and Racing Queensland's Luke Middleton to obtain a working visa for her failed.

Wiles even approached politicians. Bob Katter, the mouth of North West Queensland, he was briefed and promised to ‘get back’.

He never did.

 

ENGLISH RIDER FORCED TO RETURN HOME AFER BEING REFUSED A VISA

SO Sophie  Norris, who rode work in England and Dubai and got the nod  by those who saw her riding in gallops on many of the western  tracks, was unceremoniously bundled on a plane and sent packing.

Sophie did everything by the book. She made application for the necessary work visa. She just wanted to be a jockey and loved the harsh environment of the bush.

“She would have been better off if she had come to this country by boat,” said Wiles, who doesn’t hide frustration and bitterness – or his contempt of Government bureaucrats and politicians.

 

HOPES OF REPLACEMENT APPRENTICES DASHED AFTER RQ DEMOTED 28 LAST MONTH

WILES’ hopes of finding a replacement for the  lass, who sometimes worked more than 20 horses a day at Julia Creek, rose when he learned that 28 Queensland apprentices had been ‘demoted’ by RQ last month.

BUT all the  downgraded ‘appies’ (as they are commonly known in South Africa), have appealed their demotion which precludes them riding on city or provincial tracks – and besides, according to Wiles – ‘not one of them wants to come out here (to the bush)’.

Well, you would think some might be forced to. Young school teachers for instance, don’t choose where they teach.

Maybe it’s time – for the sake of country racing.

And meanwhile, expect more of Sunday racing in the north and ponder this question.

What will it be like in 10 years when F. Edwards, G. Kliese, S.Watkin, S Pawsey, J Felix and the Cullens give it away?

There isn’t a single apprentice indentured in Townsville.

 Not one now that Juliet Kuskopf is signed up with Home Hill’s Ray Tapiolas.

 

PREDICAMENT OF JOCKEY NUMBERS EXACERBATED BY SERIOUS FALL IN CAIRNS

THE predicament of jockey numbers was further exacerbated with the serious fall suffered in Cairns on Saturday by leading Tablelands-based rider Wanderson D’Vila.

Brazilian-born D’Vila, who  does most of the riding for Roy Chillemi and was having one of his best seasons, is in Cairns Base Hospital with severe neck injuries, a broken jaw and collarbone suffered in the fall and expects to be out of the saddle for  at least three months.

That’s the entire winter racing carnival.

Ian Toward, another top rider from the Tablelands, hasn’t ridden since December and reckons he has been to hell back this year.

But he hasn’t given up hope after almost losing a leg to infection after what was to be a simple operation on his knee early this year.

He goes back under the knife in Brisbane on May 23 where his surgeon Peter Myers, said to be the best there is, will tell him if he will ever be able to ride again.

“At the moment I can’t bend my knee. They are going to perform a manual manipulation and if it fails there’s is no recourse.

“I will be able to bend it after the operation and ride – or be forced to give the game away,” said Toward yesterday.

“I am just hopeful, that’s all.

Talk about a tough trot. Ian has also suffered severe pain for 10 years due to an injury to his hip suffered at Innisfail in 2004. He was deemed then to be too young for hip surgery which of course would have been covered by Workers’ Compensation.

On the advice of his surgeons he decided to have the very same  operation this year as Nick Hall, Ben Melham, Michael Rodd  and  many other leading jockeys have undergone in recent times to repair the wear and tear of hips caused by riding – not necessarily injury.

“Mine was from a racing injury and the operation to repair was highly recommended by three independent orthopaedic surgeons.”

But while Workers’ Compensation covered the Victorian jockeys, Toward’s request was surprisingly knocked back by the Queensland Workers’ Compensation Board, and his appeal is yet to be heard.

“If I lose it will cost me $40,000 in fees alone.”

 

 

ONE WOULD HOPE JOCKEY NUMBERS DON’T IMPACT ON HOME HILL CUP DAY

JOCKEY numbers might also decide on the success or failure of Home Hill’s big Cup day on Saturday.

Already nearly 3,500 tickets have been pre-sold for Grower’s Day – easily the biggest annual event on the Burdekin.

But while a big crowd is being catered for, with fashions on the field, and live band Cranky Pants performing from 5.30 to 9.30pm, there is a growing fear that there might be insufficient riders to guarantee big fields.

The Home Hill meeting clashes with Gordonvale  Cup day that will undoubtedly attract most of the Cairns and Tablelands jockeys and horses, and Mackay licensees have the choice of Rockhampton, which will conduct a TAB meeting this weekend.

“We are between a rock and a hard place. If we raced the following week we would clash with Mackay Amateurs – and it’s too late to switch to Sunday,” said popular Burdekin president Ross Tapiolas.

“It’s just a damn shame,” he said.

HOOFNOTE: Two of the seven jockeys at Charters Tower will not ride at Home Hill this week. Graeme Watson is suspended and Frank Edwards has taken rides at Gordonvale.

COLUMN COURTESY OF TERRY BUTTS AND THE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, one of Australia's leading rural newspapers.

TERRY BUTTS can be contacted by e-mailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.